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Cyclone chasin'
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KU
The Kansas women's basketball team will try to defeat Iowa State today in Allen Fieldhouse. See tomorrow's Kansan for complete coverage.
The University Daily Kansan
1B
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Graves'woes continue
By Ryan Greene greene@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
The result?
Last Friday, Kansas coach Bill Self sat senior forward Jeff Graves down and informed him he would be seated at the end of the bench in street clothes for Sunday's game against Nebraska.
Nebraska dominated the paint, and the game in general. Kansas reserve forwards Moulaye Niang, Bryant Nash and Christian Moody played a total of 19 minutes, going scoreless and grabbing a combined four rebounds as Graves sat in jeans and a sweater next to the water cooler.
After the game, Self said that if he were to rank his players one-through-16 based on overall effort and commitment, Graves would be at the bottom of that list.
"He just had a really bad week," Self said. "What happened was that after we got it handed to us pretty good in Stillwater, we certainly challenged the guys to really re-commit, and work hard, and we're going to play the guys that work the hardest and give us energy, because our bench hasn't been as productive as what it potentially could be. And Jeff didn't respond to any of those types of challenges."
Self said that the benching was strictly for Graves' on-court effort in practice last week, with no off-court infractions or influences. However, Self did not reveal at his news conference yesterday whether Graves will play tomorrow night at home against Bavlor.
"It was my decision not to play him Sunday," Self said. "If he doesn't play again it will be my decision. It's a situa-
SEE GRAVES ON PAGE 6B
Senior forward Jeff Graves watched from the bench during the closing seconds of Sunday's loss to Nebraska. Graves sat out because of sub-par performances in practice.
Moody focused on team goals
By Mike Norris
norris@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Christian Moody scored seven points last season as a freshman.
This season Moody has already scored three times as many points, while filling in for starters Jeff Graves and David Padgett.
But Moody would be the first to admit his statistics don't cause anyone's jaw to drop. One and a half points and just under one rebound per game are hardly anything to brag about.
But the 6-foot-8-inch sophomore has seen increased playing time this season, mainly because of lingering foul trouble with Iavhawk big men.
"Being able to fill a role and be in there at crucial times is pretty awesome," Moody said.
Moody has been the first player off the bench a few times this season, something that never happened a year ago. He also chipped in seven points and four rebounds in a home win against Texas Tech.
What Moody does, that doesn't show up in the box score, has kept him in the lineup. His point total isn't even a focus.
a focus.
"My job is to play defense and rebound," Moody said. "Not necessarily get in the offense, but help run it right."
In the onetime, Survival Basically he is supposed to be in the game and keep the offense flowing without the starters on the court. It hasn't always happened that way. Moody has had his tough times such as playing six minutes and recording three fouls in a 69-68 loss to Richmond. It didn't provide much relief for big men who were in foul trouble.
SEE MOODY ON PAGE 6B
Nebraska sign causes controversy
By Joe Bant
jbant@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The sign, held up by a Nebraska fan, read "Rock Chalk Gay Hawk."
A fan's sign at the Kansas men's basketball game in Nebraska on Sunday is now the subject of controversy.
The sign aired briefly on the ABC broadcast of the game as cameras panned the crowd. Its presence at the game and ABC's decision to focus on it has plenty of viewers irked.
Local ABC affiliate KTKA Topeka directed questions to the national syndicate, which was unable to be reached for comment.
The University of Nebraska Athletics Department has not decided what action to take in response to the incident. It hopes to resolve the issue at a meeting today along with the question of how the sign got into the game in the first place.
"We have plans in place to stop this from happening," said Chris Anderson, director of sports information for Nebraska. How those plans failed in this case is a mystery to the department, she said.
Anderson said at today's meeting the department would discuss ways to make sure an incident like Sunday's wouldn't happen again.
SEE CONTROVERSY ON PAGE 6B
"We live in a media-polarized view of the world when things like that happen," said Patricia Tetreault, sex education coordinator at the University of Nebraska
happen again. For some, the incident is significant because it shows it is still acceptable to use sexual orientation as a slur.
Tetraault said that if the sign was critical of a different minority group, the reaction against it would have been more intense. She said people should use this as a learning experience and react to it in a positive way to show that it's not OK to use sexual orientation as a slur.
Sarah Burris, interim director of Queers and Allies at the University of
'Hawks try to end losing streak
By Jonathan Kealing
jkealing@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
After practice yesterday, the women's basketball team circled up and whipped themselves into a frenzy.
The team will need that frenzy if it's going to defeat Iowa State tonight. The unranked Cyclones come to Lawrence to play the Jayhawks at 7 p.m.
The Cyclones (11-11, 4-7 Big 12 Conference) have been able to produce big victories, but they have also been able to give away the easy victories.
give away the city vicious Three of the Cyclones' four victories have come against ranked opponents. Those teams include then No. 2 Texas Tech, then No.15 Oklahoma as well as No.18 Baylor just last week. Those three teams have outscored Kansas by a combined 56 points.
on the other hand, ISU has also lost games to Oklahoma State and Missouri. In Kansas' victories over those two teams the Iawhays won by a combined 16 points.
The Jayhawks have dropped four straight games, their last victory coming against Oklahoma Sate on Jan. 31. This
"We have a perfect opportunity," interim coach Lynette Woodard said. "We want to get back on the winning track."
"We've got to drop these games. We've got to put this behind us. We're at home and we need to play like it."
Lynette Woodard Women's basketball coach
four game losing streak ties the season's longest string of losses.
During several games this season, the Jayhawks have been unable to finish and put teams away when they have early leads.
"We've got to drop these games. We've got to put this behind us," Woodard said. "We're at home and we need to play like it.
This week in practice, Woodard has organized several different drills to simulate intense conditions.
"Coach has set drills where the score is tied and there are only four or five minutes left in the game," sophomore forward Crystal Kemp said. "Throughout that time we have to stick with our offense, execute and play good defense."
Kemp said one of the biggest obstacles for the team against ISU would be
Kansas forward Tamara Ransburg held possession of the ball during a game this season. The Jayhawks will host Big 12 Conference foe Iowa State tonight at Allen Fieldhouse.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6B
Kansan File Photo
Linebacker signs letter of intent
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
kansan senior sportswriter
The Kansas football team added another linebacker to its list of recruits for the 2004 season.
for the 2004 season.
Joe Mortensen, of Clayton Valley High School in Concord, Calif., signed a letter of intent to play for the Jayhawks next season nearly two weeks after signing day.
Jeremy Crabtree, editor of Rivals.com, a nationally known recruiting Web site, said Mortensen slipped through the cracks and was a strong recruit for Kansas.
"He's got good size, good speed, good lateral movement and runs well tackle to tackle," Crabtree said. "He got to the football really well and made a lot of tackles."
He has 171 tackles to be exact, a record at his high school. Mortensen, also
Mortensen
Mortensen also added 13 sacks, two interceptions and forced four fumbles in 2003. Mortensen was named first team all-state as a senior. He was named first team all-league at both linebacker and
tight end for the past three seasons
Mortensen really stood out at the Stanford University Nike Camp where he stood out in the agility drills and ran a 4.66 second 40-yard-dash. Some recruiting experts tabbed him as the best linebacker prospect in attendance. He also stood out in the bench press. Mortensen was a school record holding litter in the bench press, power clean and squat.
power stance.
So how did Mortensen "slip through the cracks"? He is an excellent athlete with great strength and good size at almost 240 pounds. Crabtree said it might have been his height. Kansas lists Mortensen as 6-foot-2 but at the Nike
Camp, he measured closer to 6-0. He also largely wasn't recruited by major universities, particularly the school he wanted to attend.
to attend. Theinsiders.com reported that Mortensen dreamed of playing for Nebraska, but that the call offering Mortensen a scholarship never came. That left Mortensen to his other choices, one of which included Kansas.
"Sometimes for whatever reasons, schools miss kids," Crabtree said. "Kansas really needed depth and talent on defense. He should be a very good player for them."
-Edited by Louise Stauffer
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
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